'I just noticed how well kids responded to an affectionate dog.'

Pooch parole gives young offenders a break

By CHRIS WINDEYER

Legal aid lawyer Chris Debicki often gets a phone call informing him that his wayward mutt Fidel is once again in trouble.

"Because my dog gets busted on a frequent basis, I was intimately acquainted with the dog pound," Debicki said, laughing.

That familiarity helped start a program that allows troubled youth from Iqaluit's detention centre to spend time with the dogs, while cleaning the pound – a deal that benefits kids and dogs alike, Debicki said.

So last month youth from the centre built new doghouses, while the centre itself donated the building materials.

"All of our doghouses were dilapidated so we decided that would be a project for them," said city bylaw chief Rod Mugford. "It's a hands-on project to use their skills."

In the process, the youth interacted with the dogs and took them for walks. Mugford said he envisions a permanent arrangement with the youth offenders centre, where the young people come out to do maintenance and landscaping as needed.

A chance encounter youth from the centre at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park sparked the idea, Debicki said.

"My dog was with me and I just noticed how well kids responded to an affectionate dog," he said. "It just kind of clicked in my head that kids should be helping at the pound."

Glen House, case manager at the six-bed centre, said its residents are out doing volunteer work in the community all the time.

"They're pretty enthused about it actually," he said. "They love working with their hands."

Residents, who hail from all over Nunavut, must have a record of good behaviour to be allowed out to work on volunteer projects in the community.

All three men say they would like the program to become permanent, with youth offenders taking on some long-term responsibilities at the pound. Debicki hopes the youth, some of whom are his clients, develop a sense of accomplishment and build self-esteem from the exercise.

"Kids will have a healthy outlet for showing emotion and affection," he said. "It's not the same thing obviously as getting a hug from your grandpa but a lick in the face from a dog is something of a substitute."

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